Man allegedly steals an excavator from a San Diego job site and drives it through the city. Police say it caused $25k in damage to one venue alone

A man is facing charges after allegedly taking an excavator from a construction site and driving it through the streets of San Diego, California. The incident was caught on video and shared widely online.

The footage shows a yellow excavator moving down University Avenue with its bucket lowered, scraping against the road and sending sparks into the air. The machine continued down the street before heading toward a nearby KFC.

Police said the excavator knocked down five street signs, a streetlight, and several planter boxes during the drive. The most costly damage happened outside the Observatory North Park, where the venue’s sign was reportedly damaged at a cost of about $25,000.

Police say driver had no clear way to start the machine

Police arrested 28-year-old Liam Quigley on suspicion of vehicle theft and two counts of vandalism after the excavator was brought to a stop, according to NBC San Diego. Authorities have not explained how Quigley allegedly managed to start or operate the machine.

The video was posted by TikTok user @hamhandle and quickly gained attention online, reaching more than 523,000 views, 67,000 likes, and over 1,100 comments. The clip also spread on Reddit, where it drew more reactions. On-screen text in the video described the driver as homeless. Authorities have not confirmed this detail.

Many viewers online reacted with disbelief at the footage, with some questioning how someone was able to access and start the heavy equipment in the first place. One person online wrote, “I’ve never seen anything like that.”

Others online speculated about how the machine could have been started without keys, though police have not released details on this part of the incident. Heavy equipment theft has made headlines elsewhere in California too, including a case where a driver was identified through a takeout order after a separate string of vandalism.

San Diego has also seen other unusual public incidents caught on camera recently, including a case involving a security guard using a taser outside a rooftop bar. The circumstances around how the excavator was allegedly taken remain unclear.

Reactions to the video ranged from disbelief to jokes about the situation. On TikTok, one commenter wrote, “he wants to get arrested so he can get some sleep, a meal, and get out of the heat.” Another TikTok user simply wrote, “Causing damage for no reason.” A different TikTok comment read, “What stage of capitalism is this?”

On Reddit, one commenter asked, “Is he also forklift certified?” Another Reddit user wrote, “Nature is Healing.” A different Reddit comment joked, “He’s looking to make it the biggest bucket of KFC for a Guinness world record.” One more Reddit user speculated, “They’re just going to use it to get drugs.”